It’s time we got back to basic. What you eat affects your whole body, not just your waistline. A healthy diet leads to more energy and a higher chance of preventing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer, heart diseases and osteoporosis.
In Australia malnutrition is rarely a problem. The greater problem is with diets that include large intakes of energy-dense foods, saturated fats, sugar and/or salt, and low intakes of vegetables, fruit and wholegrain cereals. These are the main contributors to overweight and obesity, diet-related disease and poor health (AIHW 2012)

​The 2011-2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) surveyed the population's usual dietary intakes. The key findings in this survey were: 

• The average energy intake was 9,655 kilojoules (kJ) for males and 7,402 kJ for females. 
• 99% of the population met their daily requirements for protein. 
• 25% of the population had a usual intake of at least 100 grams of total sugars per day (equivalent to at least 23 teaspoons of naturally present or added sugars). 
• The average intake for total fat for males was 79 - 89 grams per day and for females 64 - 69 grams per day. 
• 73% of females and 51% of males did not meet their daily calcium requirement. 
• 23% of females and 3% of males did not meet their daily iron requirements. 
• 42% females and 72% of males exceeded their daily requirement of sodium. 

 
So is my diet balanced?
In Australia the most reliable nutrition advice is provided by The National Health and Medical Research Council. NHMRC has guidelines for healthy eating based on the best available scientific evidence including the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
The Guidelines highlight the groups of foods and lifestyle patterns that promote good nutrition and health. They have been designed to help Australians consume a healthy diet by eating a variety of foods. The aim of these Guidelines is to help individuals consume a balanced diet, namely: 

• Adequate fuels for energy 
• Essential proteins, fats, fibre, minerals and vitamins to maintain health, and  
• Enough water to replace losses in urine, faeces and evaporation. 

The current guidelines use the five food groups and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.
In Australia the five food groups include: 

1. Grains or cereal foods. 
2. Vegetables and legumes. 
3.  Fruit. 
4. Milk and milk products. 
5. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes. 

To help maintaining a healthy and balanced diet the guidelines suggest the following tips: 

• If necessary, swap discretionary choices for foods from the five food groups.  
• Include breads or grains part of at least two meals most days. 
• Include vegetables at least twice a day. 
•  Ensure vegetables take up at least one third of meals. For people trying to lose weight this portion should be half the meal. 
• Include lean meat or meat alternative as part of at least one meal a day. 
•  Add fruit to at least two meals or use as snacks or desserts. 
• Include a serve of low fat milk, yoghurt or cheese as a significant part of at least two meals or snacks. 
• For good health include some fish meals and legumes meals every week. 
• Enjoy a variety of different coloured vegetables every day. 

 
 
How much food from each food group do I need each day?
 
Foundation diets are dietary patterns developed by the NHMRC based on the five food groups. It describes the minimum number of serves from each food group required to be eaten each day, to ensure adequate nutrients are consumed. The diets consider gender, age and life stage. 
People who want to lose weight are recommended to choose the minimum number of serves. Additional portions or discretionary choices are needed only by people who are taller or more active to meet additional energy requirements

One of my biggest challenges has been managing my anxiety, mood and energy levels. With the stage 4 lock down being extended, I am the first to admit that I am suffering pandemic fatigue! In our “Resilience Skills for a Pandemic” webinar series, Kate and myself shared some strategies for managing physical and mental wellbeing. Now more than ever, I am scheduling some “self-care reminders” to nurture me through the following weeks. Here are a few:

Get present and breath. When I am anxious, so much of my time is future focused, usually predicting the worst. Taking time out to take 10 deep belly breaths, helps me connect with the here and now and creates some time out from my “monkey mind.” Engaging in some regular mindfulness practice helps me to better observe my thoughts, and connect with my feelings. From this space, uncomfortable thoughts and feelings have less control and I am better able to connect and savour what’s good.

Focus on your circle of control. In this pandemic so much has been outside of our control. Taking the time to identify what is within my control has been key for me maintaining a sense of agency. The pillars of exercise, healthful eating, sleep and connecting with loved ones are things that I can control and take action towards.

Manage your news feed. The 24-hour news cycle is full of doom and gloom. Checking in once a day to a reputable news source has allowed me to stay informed, yet not be overwhelmed by negativity. I think now more than ever we need to be more selective with what we feed ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally.
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Be Kind. Melbourne’s stage 4 lockdown has been challenging for us all. The resurgence of partisan politics and political points scoring has made me reflect on my personal values. For me, I would like to focus more on compassion, empathy and hope rather than blame. Like the political landscape, we all have our own inner critic. Exercising some self-compassion and being kind to yourself and others is key if we are to recover well.

Is this helping or hindering? This could either be a thought or a behaviour. Asking myself this question has given me the space to choose how I want to show up in this world moment to moment. What I want to stand for and who I want to be! All too often we can think and act in a way that moves us away from what we value in life. This question has helped me be more accountable.
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Trust. The other day when feeling a little low, I was reminded by my wife Karen, of all the challenges we have faced as a couple. She helped me reconnect with our strengths and our resources that have enabled us to overcome adversity. The take home message: Have trust in yourself; your ability and that this to shall pass J J.

During this pandemic, exercise has been my number one strategy for keeping me resilient during uncertain times. If exercise was a pill, every doctor would be prescribing it!  We know that when we move regularly our immune systems operate optimally. From and emotional and mental perspective, exercise is one of the best things we can do for our brain health, cognitive function and our mood!
Having a physical release to manage and use the fight and flight hormones of adrenalin and cortisol is key if we are to mediate the stress response. This is important if we are to dodge the long-term physical and mental health consequences of chronic stress.

In his book “Spark- How exercise will improve the performance of your brain,” Dr John Ratey explains how exercise transforms your mind. “Regular exercise will help you pay better attention, be more creative, you will remember things better and have more flexibility in your thinking!” I too have my own subjective experience of this. In my running days, if I encountered a problem or challenge, going for a run would improve my problem solving skills. Invariably, during or post workout, I would come up with a solution to my quandary. 
When we move we use more of our brain and nervous system than any other activity. Consequently we release dopamine and nor-epinephrine, both of which are used in our attention system. This is what is targeted in psychiatry when people with ADHD are prescribed Ritalin. Exercise will make you more alert and more focused! A study from Stanford University measured the creativity of students. They discovered those students that were moving, performed better in the cognitive tests that they were given.

If you exercise for 5-10 minutes you will get an increase of other neurotransmitters such as serotonin that helps create a calming effect. Psychiatrists target this neuromodulator when they prescribe antidepressants. What’s more, you will boost the release of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor), the “miracle grow” or fertilizer for the brain. This helps neuroplasticity, creating new connections in your brain.
In summary, exercise metaphorically oils the brain, allowing our mental cogs to function better. It also fertilizes our neural networks so that they can grow and make further connections.

 So what should I do?

Do the activity that you enjoy and move regularly. If you feel your brain is in “lockdown” get moving to shift your mood! If you can do it outside, you will also get the additional benefit of vitamin D, which is important for inflammation and the immune system. If you can move with someone else (socially distant), you also get the benefits of social interaction that is critical for our mental and emotional health.
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Check out what a trainer does in  lockdown to shift his mood! PS Mute the cheesy music :)

Please contact me if you would like assistance with your own ISO home workout

With major disruption to our lives, we need to redefine a new way of living. This 4 week program, provides you with the tools, support and accountability to help you get back on track.

Do you want to…. 

• Get your brain out of lockdown?
• Process negative thoughts and emotions in healthy ways?
• Learn tools to cope with uncertainty and build some good self care habits?
• Bounce back after challenge and grow stronger?

Join Kate & Jason as they explore the resilience skills (safety belt) that helps you ride the COVID emotional roller coaster.
 
As a Vital Lifestyle Client you will receive free access to this online program. 
Contact Jason to register

What people are saying....

"Thanks Jason for a really enriching session last night. You and Kate have clearly put a lot of work and thought into these sessions and  I feel they have been very valuable and  thought provoking. You both left me with lots of things to ponder on and explore. Can’t wait to Zoom in next week!"
Judi 

"Thanks Jason – Monday night was great.   Such a good thing to be doing at the moment, as I’m sure lockdown is going to continue.  I have a feeling the whole year will have passed and I’ll feel like I‘ve spent it all at home (apart from going out for a walk!!)
 Regards Carol 
 
TED Talk: Three Secrets To Resilient People

“Where you focus your attention is what you will experience.” It may seem like a simple statement, but it has profound implication to our experience of life.
With the 24-hour news cycle fixated on the pandemic and all the implications socially, economically and medically, it’s easy to get swamped by the “bad news” presented by the media. One antidote is to foster practices that help harvest and savour positive emotions.
This idea is derived from current neuroscience research that recognises that positive experiences are like Teflon- they slip away.  Where as negative emotions are like Velcro- they stick around. 
Further more, research by Fredrickson suggests that experiencing positive emotions in a 3-to-1 ratio to negative emotions helps people experience a state of mind that can; “enhance your relationships, improve your health, relieve depression, and broaden your mind.”
Our brains are wired to focus on the negative aspects of life and these are the ones we remember easily. This is our survival mechanism at play and is part of the brain’s protective make-up. After all, if we were unable to identify a threat, our ancestors would not have been naturally selected.
On the other hand, celebrating the good things in life, the events, relationships, the wow and ah-ha moments contribute to the joy of living and it is good to train ourselves to hold onto these experiences.
Here are three practices that I am currently experimenting with to facilitate connecting with the good.

• One such practice is keeping a gratitude journal. Before you go to bed, write in your journal 3 things that went well for you during the day. As you write these things down allow your mind to re-experience the situation and why it went well for you.
• Another practice is identifying something that you are grateful for around the dinner table. In our family of three, we each reflect on one good thing that we have experienced.
• A follow on practice… Write these experiences on another piece of paper and place them in a jar. The use of a “gratitude jar” has the purpose of capturing these moments that otherwise may easily have been forgotten. This is a simple mindfulness exercise. Now every time I experience a moment of “wow or Ah -Ha !” I post myself a note and placed it in the jar. By creating a ritual where I open and reconnect with these experiences at the end of the week I harvest and savour the joys of life that would otherwise have been lost.

On a side note, many know that my father has been receiving medical treatment since Christmas and has been unable to return to his home in Western Australia. Thankfully his energy is returning and he was able to find a suitable rental apartment close to my home! I am touched by the generosity of members from the Vital Lifestyle community who have lent and gifted furniture and home wares to make my fathers stay comfortable. I am truly grateful for every ones love and support during these challenging times. For all of this I am truly thankful J

Following up on our resilience and wellbeing webinar, Gill has made available several recipes that have helped her through this period of lock down and social distancing. Enjoy :)

Please take note, not only of the model, but the beautiful kitchen. I have been assured that it is always this clean!
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During this period we are all trying to inoculate ourselves against the COVID 19 virus. In order to help our immune system we know that regular exercise, healthful eating, good sleep and stress management practices are all integral in supporting immune function. (For a good overview to boosting your immune system, listen to this ABC podcast)

​Besides physical inoculation, there is also the mental and emotional need for inoculating ourselves against the fear, panic and anxiety of uncertain times. I know personally I have been in a heightened state of fight and flight.

Stress put simply is our bodies’ response to a perceived (real or imagined) threat or challenge. This response can be physiological, mental, emotional or behavioural. I personally have been experiencing increased anxiety and worry about the future. Here are some strategies I have been using to assist me in maintaining some form of balance and equanimity.

Breath!  When we become stressed or anxious our breathing rate and patterns change as part of the biological stress response, in order to warn us that we may be under threat. When this happens we generally take short and shallow breaths from high up in our chest, rather than using our diaphragm. Slow conscious diaphragmatic breathing is a physiological intervention that can mediate our stress response.    Check out this short video

Maintain social connection. Even though you are physically distancing doesn’t mean you need to be isolated. Social connection and the release of oxytocin is another recognised intervention in mediating the stress response. Get creative. I know of people who are using Zoom, Skype and Face time to have regular coffee catch ups, wine time (not whine time) dinner parties, and kids social catch ups. For more on the importance of social connection and good brain health click here.  

Develop psychological flexibility. This implies you have the skills and ability to build awareness and be present, make room for uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, yet still take action guided by your core values. As the stress response more often than not involves uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and sensations, having the cognitive skills to better relate to these is imperative to managing stress. 
Engaging in some regular mindful practice is a great way of creating some space between troubling thoughts and tumultuous emotions. Mindfulness based practice is like an antidote to living in the past (rumination, regret, resentment) or the future (worrying or predicting the worst). It enables grounding, centering and calming down when stressed. It’s like “dropping an anchor amidst an emotional storm”
Emotional flexibility involves:

• Acceptance of experience and our internal world- thoughts, feelings, urges, etc.
• Unhooking from uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Open up, make room for them and let them flow through you.
• Refocusing on what is important – Your values
• Accepting any pain when following ones values and being the person you want to be
• Engaging fully. Living in the present moment

  
Check out this short video on internal struggles by Dr Russ Harris
 
​Download below this great resource created by DR Russ Harris for better inoculating you mentally & emotionally from COVID 19

​Manage your (social) media intake. I am normally a veracious consumer of news and current affairs often listening to BBC, NPR and our ABC. Recently I have limited my exposure to the 24-hour news cycle. This involves taking a break from watching, reading or listening to crisis news stories, including social media. Instead I check in once a day and spend other moments listening to something more uplifting like ABC classical or an interesting podcast.

Maintain a routine is something that one can control. Having a written daily plan helps you stay on track with your self-care and other areas that you value and are important for maintaining resilience and equanimity. Check out Kate’s video below. Contact Kate for psychotherapy support.

As a health and wellbeing coach I help people build their physical, mental and emotional resources to meet life challenges. Over the last month I have been deploying all that I have learnt in the last 30 years of working in health and fitness. This has been identifying what is within my circle of control, taking action and calling on those resources that have me be as resilient as I can, in the face of uncertainty.
Some of you may already know that I have been amidst a family health crisis, with both parents currently in hospital, a wife that has a chronic health condition (reliant on immune suppressing medication) and the emerging uncertainty of COVID 19. I have had a few sleepless nights to say the least! I have also made it a non negotiable, to maintain and indeed increase my self- care behaviour, that has me be the most effective and resilient in these eventful times. Here I would like to share my top 6 strategies.

• Keeping up my exercise has been essential.  I know that activity is my best prescription for managing stress. When in “fight and flight” having an outlet for my adrenalin and cortisol is essential from turning and acute event into a chronic health issue. We know keeping up exercise and a healthy lifestyle is key for managing chronic stress and it’s negative effect on our immune system. It also help me mange my mood, and allows me to think more clearly and stay solution focused. 
• Maintaining “healthful” eating. Choosing foods that both nourish me and maintain health- whole foods, especially fruit and vegetables. When extremely stressed my tendency is to miss meals. Fortunately for me, my wife has been supporting me in maintaining energy and sustenance.
• Mindfullness practice has been something that I have previously struggled with. Over the last 5 months I have made a conscious effort to develop a routine around mediation. What has worked for me is starting small and attaching the habit to an already existing routine. First thing in the morning when preparing my percolating coffee, I sit on my meditation stool and listen to a 10 minute guided meditation. My other strategy is to punctuate my day with a few deep belly breaths. I have also tried to link this to daily rituals, like brushing my teeth, washing my hands, or waiting for a traffic light. The benefit is that I can create some space between racing thoughts or tumultuous emotional states. This space helps me chose actions that are more in alignment with my values and gives me a sense of calm when sailing in a metaphorical stormy sea.
• Maintain good sleep and restorative processes. During uncertain times keeping a routine is critical. Having good sleep hygiene and maintaining a constant bedtime and awake time is one thing I can control. Having some soothing activities that help calm a stressed and aroused state, has been important for me when trying to fall asleep. This is sometimes a hot shower, essential oils, white noise, guided mediation,  or an audio book/  podcast that takes me to a happier place.  
• Do something that gives you joy. I am lucky to have an energetic and creative 4 ½ year old. There is nothing more delightful that seeing the world through his eyes. Lately building a rocket ship (photo) out of boxes and completing a jigsaw puzzle has helped me focus on other aspects of my life that are not filled with angst. If you don’t have a young child, try an activity or hobby that helps you reach a state of flow. I love to be in nature, however getting away is challenging at present. I am currently getting my nature fix by walking in the park, gardening and lying under my gum tree.
• Connecting with loved ones and community. Even if you are unable to do this in person, getting on the phone or using technology like facetime or skype to share, all that is important and going on in your life. This is critical for all of us physically, mentally and emotionally. It also helps us remember that we are all in this “life experience” together and are part of a greater community.

 
Finally I always come back to this….
"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, 
The courage to change the things I can, 
And the wisdom to know the difference.”
 
 One thing that is within my circle of control is choosing actions that are in alignment with my values.
At this time I stand for being: compassionate, caring, accepting, calm and healthy J

What are your self-care behaviours that you turn to in stressful times? i would love to hear from you :)
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At Vital Lifestyle our primary concern is the health and wellbeing of our community. With the evolving COVID 19 situation, we are mindful of eliminating and minimizing risk to both you our valued client and our trainers. As such you will notice a few changes and we ask for your assistance. 
 
We kindly ask for you to:

• Refrain from coming into sessions if you are unwell (fever, sneezing, coughing). 
• Also, if you knowingly have come into contact with another person who has contracted Coronovirus. 
• If you are planning travel or you are returning from travel keep up to date with quarantine precautions.  The countries with any current travel warning include: Mainland China, Iran, Italy, Republic of Korea, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia (including Bali), Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and any affected Cruise Ships.

In addition, we advise our clients to personally consider these protocols:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and hot water at least for 20 seconds. We suggest you do this before and after leaving the studio. Obviously also if you use the bathroom, or do happen to cough or touch your mouth.
• Use hand sanitiser frequently. (We suggest you bring your own)
• Wipe equipment down after use. We will be providing disinfectant wipes and other products. When the studio has more than one client we may allocate you a set exercise mat and pieces of equipment that can be wiped after use.
• We also encourage you to bring your own clean work out towel. We will no longer be providing towels due to hygiene purposes
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue should you need to cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow. 

You may also notice that:

• We may not be as “hands on” when training. We will offer more visual and verbal cues.
• We will be using disposable towels in bathrooms etc. for hygiene purposes.
• We will be washing our hands regularly before, after and possibly during your session.
• We will be cleaning and sanitizing regularly

For us to continue to operate and maintain your health and fitness we need to work together and make sure we look after each other and ourselves. 
We recognise that this is a global epidemic and one which we are treating with serious precaution, however we wanted to reiterate that it is important for you, your health, and your family that you remain calm and rational, considerate of others, and most importantly maintain a healthy lifestyle wherever possible.